A Spotlight on United to Learn’s Prioritizing Principals Project
October is National Principal Appreciation Month—a time to celebrate and uplift the incredible leaders who shape our schools and communities. Principals do far more than manage daily operations. They set the tone for a safe, supportive environment where students and teachers can thrive. Yet, the job pressures can take a toll on their well-being. Much like a CEO, being a principal is a 24/7 role, demanding leadership, problem-solving, and vision. However, principals often face these challenges with less authority, lower pay, and fewer benefits than their corporate counterparts, making the role even more difficult. Texas schools are facing high principal turnover. More than 20% of principals left their positions during the 2022-23 school year, a 5% increase from the previous decade.
What is the Prioritizing Principals Project?
The Prioritizing Principals Project (PPP)* supports principals by providing tools for personal** and occupational*** growth and a place to build relationships with other Dallas ISD elementary school principals*. In its third year, this cohort has 20 members. Principals participate in six sessions throughout the year, focusing on the neuroscience of well-being to help combat the stress cycle and prevent burnout, along with restorative practices and school leadership, all guided by three key pillars: Live Well, Be Well, and Lead Well.
Through PPP, principals like Kelly Brennion, from Cesar Chavez Learning Center*, have experienced life-changing results.
“United to Learn is a breath of fresh air. The support that you provide to our schools is truly like nothing from anywhere else,” Principal. Brennion shared. “Prioritizing Principals Project helped me regain a better balance in my life — I learned how to find my better self. Being my better self has helped me be a better principal.”
Why Prioritizing Principals Matters
The well-being of school principals is critical to the success of the entire school community. Lauren Brzeski, United to Learn’s Director of Social and Emotional Learning, emphasizes that the role of leadership in social and emotional learning (SEL) is foundational.
“Social and emotional learning starts at the top,” Brzeski explains. “Research shows us that investing in school leadership is imperative for creating the most ideal learning outcomes. Through the Prioritizing Principals Project, we’re giving school leaders the support they need to thrive both personally and occupationally. When principals feel supported and empowered, they are better able to foster the same environment for their educators and students. This is a necessary component in our vision to accelerate student achievement—students must feel safe and supported to be in the best mindset to learn.”
The Impact of Leadership on Student Achievement
Effective school leadership is critical to student success. Principals directly influence key factors like school culture, teacher retention, and student achievement. Research✝ shows that replacing a below-average principal with an above-average one can yield almost 3 additional months of learning in math and reading each year.
Beyond academics, strong leadership helps foster a positive school climate where students feel safe, valued, and ready to learn. Principals set the tone for inclusivity, trust, and collaboration within the school, creating an environment where both students and teachers can thrive. Studies have shown that students in schools led by effective principals are more likely to attend school regularly, perform better academically, and develop stronger social-emotional skills.
Additionally, principals who cultivate trust among their staff help reduce teacher turnover, which is critical as teacher retention is seeing historic lows. Teacher-principal trust, a key focus of the Prioritizing Principals Project, saw a 26% increase in participating schools over the course of the program. By establishing strong, trusting relationships with teachers, principals empower educators to innovate in the classroom and feel supported in their professional growth.
Ultimately, effective principals serve as the backbone of a school, driving both academic excellence and a supportive, collaborative learning environment. When principals are well-prepared and supported—both occupationally and personally—they can make a profound and lasting
United to Learn’s Prioritizing Principals Project aims to provide school leaders with the tools, community, and support they need to stay in their roles and continue driving student success.
How You Can Celebrate Principals This Month
As we celebrate National Principal Appreciation Month, here are a few simple but impactful ways to show your appreciation:
- Send a Personal Note: A heartfelt note that makes a principal feel seen and valued can make a big impact. Encourage students, teachers, and parents to share specific ways their principal has made a positive difference in their lives.
- Host an Appreciation Event: Organize a breakfast or assembly where students and staff can publicly thank their principal for their hard work and dedication.
- Wellness Gifts: Principals often put their school’s needs ahead of their own. Organizing with other parents to give a wellness gift, such as a spa day or fitness class, can help them recharge.
- Celebrate on Social Media: Use the hashtag #PrincipalAppreciationMonth and share stories of how your principal has made a difference.
- Volunteer to Help: Offering your time to support one of the principal’s initiatives is a great way to show you value their leadership.
Join Us in Supporting Our Principals
Principals are the backbone of our schools, guiding staff and students to reach their highest potential. Through the Prioritizing Principals Project, United to Learn is committed to providing the support our principals need to lead with strength and compassion. This month, as we honor principals across Dallas and beyond, let’s also advocate for the long-term resources and programs that help them thrive.
Together, we can unite schools and community to create thriving campuses.
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*Note from the United to Learn Director of Social and Emotional Learning Lauren Brzeski
Prioritizing Principals Project program goal: By June 2025, participating principals will increase their occupational and personal well-being to at least proficient as measured by the Effective Educator Wellness Practices (Domain 3 of Thriving Campus Rubric), body/physical care, mind/psychological care, occupational wellness and personal wellness.
**Personal Well-being definition: Well-being is a positive state experienced by individuals and societies. Similar to health, it is a resource for daily life and is determined by social, economic, and environmental conditions. Well-being encompasses quality of life and the ability of people and societies to contribute to the world with a sense of meaning and purpose (World Health Organization).
***Occupational Well-being definition: Occupational wellness is the ability to achieve a balance between work and leisure in a way that promotes health, and a sense of personal satisfaction and is financially rewarding (University of Nebraska, Omaha).
✝According to a Wallace Foundation commissioned review of literature that finds Investing in Principals Offers Very Large Payoffs for Students And Teacher
*In August of 2026, Cesar Chavez Learning Center was renamed East Dallas Elementary.